Arts & Entertainment
Film Fest First in the Granite State
Film Fest First
in the Granite State
This month, the Colonial Theatre in Keene, NH, is beginning what it hopes will be a yearly event. Lambda Rising is billed as New Hampshire’s first gay and lesbian film festival. It runs October 11 through 15 with the following films:
Benjamin Smoke: The true story of a musician, a genuine underground figure named Benjamin. He is an outsider whose difficult life was channeled and transformed by the music that he made – the reflection of art and chance. It is a film about the struggle with AIDS and the effects of addiction, but it is also real life, and naturally, it is something of a comedy. Directors: Jem Cohen and Peter Sillen. NR. 80 min.
The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me: Commanding the screen in a one-person show is a daunting task, but this frenetic, frank and touching film manages that feat under the intelligent direction of Tim Kirkman, whose credits include “Dear Jesse.” The translation of a series of monologues about the life and times of a gay American growing up in the era of the Stonewall riots, the first Gay Pride parade, and the plague of AIDS becomes not just a riveting performance but the spirit of a time. Director: Tim Kirkman. ast: David Drake. 79 min. NR.
The Man Who Drove With Mandela: This is the story of Cecil Williams, a Communist, an anti-Apartheid activist, and a fairly openly gay man during the 1940s and 1950s – not an era in South African history noted for its tolerance. Through archival footage and interviews, including one with Nelson Mandela, about the incident that placed Mandela behind bars for 28 years, this film provides a fascinating look at one man’s negotiation and struggle to make sense of a changing political landscape. Director: Greta Schiller. Cast: Corin Redgrave. 82 minutes. NR.
Just One Time: A clever comedy about happiness, trust, and sexual identity in which a young couple attempts to turn fantasy into reality. Prior to getting married, they decide to fulfill each other’s sexual fantasies with a same-sex tryst for each of them. As the wedding date looms near, things spin out of control and they quickly discover that just one time may, in fact, be one time too many. Director: Lane Janger. Cast: Joelle Carter, Guillermo Diaz, Jennifer Esposito. 92 min. NR.